


A Decorated Emergency

by StrikinglyStrange



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Depression, F/M, Fear, Friendship, Pain, Sickness, Strength, Sudden Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-17 22:56:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16105520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrikinglyStrange/pseuds/StrikinglyStrange
Summary: One day, Tony's entire world is changed. One day, everything's fine, and the next, he's suddenly got more responsibilities than he ever imagined. One day, he has to decide if he can balance his personal relationships with his duties as an Avenger.One day, he signs papers.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came partly from a dream I had and partly from Panic at the Disco's song "Camisado" from their album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out.

Of all the places in the world, Tony Stark imagined himself being right now, this was not it.

\-----------------------------

Tony sat in a plush leather chair that was tucked away in the corner of a strikingly white room. He sat facing a window that presented him with a grand view of New York City. It was early dawn, and a gentle mist was hanging just above the city.

Everything was quiet, save for the repetitive beeping of the I.V. machine. Despite Tony knowing to expect the sound, he still jumped a tiny bit each time. Not enough for the receipt to notice, he hoped. 

He had sprung for the nicest private room the hospital had to offer.

The nurses recognized him immediately and scrambled to get the patient into an x-ray.

When the x-ray failed they moved onto a CT scan. 

That’s when they found the poison.

Somebody had poisoned his friend.

The anger that sprung out of Tony was unlike anything he’d ever felt before.

In the beginning, he couldn’t stop shaking.

And that’s how he found himself staring out the window at skyscrapers, trying to hold it together for the one who was actually suffering.

____________________

Tony wasn’t sure how much time had passed before there came a gentle knock at the door.

The guest opened the door, slowly, cautiously.

“Mr. Stark,” Peter Parker whispered. “Mr. Stark, what happened?”

Tony’s entire face fell: deep wrinkles formed on his forehead.

“I don’t know, kid. One minute we were talking about the future, and the next minute everything had gone to chaos.”


	2. What’s Mine is Yours

Chapter 2: What’s Mine is Yours

-Two Months Ago-

Lately Tony spends a lot of time with Peter’s Aunt May. He stops by to check in on them both, and to make sure Peter isn’t going behind either of their backs. Not that Tony doesn’t trust him, but every now and then he hears clamor about the “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” at it again and his anxiety flares up. 

He and May bonded over the stress of trying to figure out how to raise Peter. From the beginning, May never minded that Peter spoke of Tony like a father. May was a mother and a father and a best friend to Peter for as long as he needed her, but truth be told, there was a sense of relief that came with Tony stepping in to help her.

That’s why she invited Tony over today under the pretense of having just baked some of his favorite cookies.

And when she served him his plate at the kitchen table, she slipped her will underneath it.

They chatted happily while Tony ate his fill of the oatmeal raisin cookies.

When Tony was finished he lifted his plate to take it to the sink, and a light breeze from the open window gently brushed May’s will off of the table and onto his feet.

With the plate in one hand, he bent over and used his free hand to pick the piece of paper up.

His whole face turned white as a sheet and he dropped the other plate.

May rushed over and caught it before it had the chance to shatter all over the ground.

Tony swallowed and looked up at May. 

“You’re too young to be writing a will, May.”

“Tony, the world is getting more and more dangerous every day. Now Peter’s involved with this superhero stuff and the Avengers… and let’s face it, I don’t have any special powers. If something happens to me…”

Tony turned away from her.

“If something happens to me,” she says a little louder, “I want to know that Peter is going to be taken care of. This is just precautionary. I’m fine, Tony. I’m in good health! Just ask my doctor if you don’t believe me.”

“I believe you…” Tony says quietly as he turns back around to face her. “I trust you, it’s just… a kid, huh?”

May smiles brightly at him. “Not just any kid, the kid that already loves you and respects you. I wouldn’t want Peter to be with anybody else. You and Pepper are absolutely the best choice!” 

“I’ll have to talk to her about it, you know. The wedding…”

“I know, you keep postponing,” May shrugs. “And I want to have a fun bridesmaid party with Pepper, Natasha, Wanda, and Hope already,” she glares playfully at Tony.

“Even if I get Pepper… even if I get her to agree, does Peter know?” Tony says as he lays the piece of paper back down on the kitchen table.

May walks over and stands in front of the window, to block the breeze. “No, of course he doesn’t know. Why would I want to freak him out like that? He’s already got the extra stress from his honors courses and his extracurriculars.”

Tony looks down at the piece of paper that seems so small. But he understands that this tiny little piece of paper will change his life, forever.

_______________________________

Tony sits in a beat up looking sandwich shop with Pepper and Bruce. None of them even bother with disguises anymore: most people don’t bother them either.

He’s been stirring a french fry around in a little sea of gravy for what seems like ages before Bruce finally breaks the silence.

“Tony, what’s wrong? I know you didn’t just call Pepper and me here for no reason,” he leans over the table. ‘Talk to us buddy,” he tries to reason with Tony.

Pepper puts an arm gently on Bruce, who she’s sitting next to.

Tony drops the fry, and it goes for a swim.

He looks up at them, down at his laptop bag, and back up at them.

“What if I told you, the world was about to change?”

Pepper cocks her head, and Bruce sits back down in the booth.

“The last time I heard something like that from you… We had to fight it out with your evil child in Sokovia,” Bruce whispers.

Tony chuckles and then pulls May’s will from his bag.

He clutches onto it tightly, his knuckles turning a bright red color.

Pepper looks from Bruce to Tony and then gently removes the paper from his hands.

‘Is this some kind of tech contract or-” Pepper’s eyes go wide, but Bruce doesn’t look at the paper.

Tony’s biting his lip and he watches Pepper read the entirety of the will.

“This is what has you so quiet?” She waves the paper around. “This is wonderful, Tony!” She hands it back to him.

He sits, dumbfounded. “It is?”

“Of course it is! We love Peter! We’re practically his babysitters, unpaid I might add!”

Bruce sits quietly, trying to piece together the conversation for himself.

“So, we’re going to sign it?” Tony asks, still in shock.

“Give me a pen,” she holds her hand out to Tony who pulls one out of his bag.

“Thank youuu,” Pepper chimes as she takes the will back and signs in the appropriate spot.

“And I’m going to tell Peter that I signed first! I’m going to be the cool mom.”

“Are you two-- adopting Peter?” Bruce finally interrupts.

“Oh, no no no, nothing like that,” Tony immediately responds.

“May is asking for us to become his guardians if anything happens to her,” Pepper says as she slides the will and the pen over to Tony.

Tony looks from the pen to the paper, and back again.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Sign it,” Bruce nudges him.

“Can I still be Iron-Man?”

Pepper’s mouth falls slightly open; “Tony, we’ve talked about raising a family before. You can come back to Stark Industries and I’ll step down as the CEO.”

“You know, Thor keeps hearing whispers of Thanos, Pep. He’s out there. He’s collecting stones and he’s destroying whoever he had to steal them from.”

“Tony, we will be more than prepared when Thanos comes this time. We have so many more allies now. Look at Wanda and Vis. We’ve got King T’Challa and all of the might of Wakanda. Barnes is back to his senses… you and Steve may be fighting but he’d come running back in an instant. And, look at me, I’ve got my green guy under control.”

“If something…. Were to happen to May before Thanos brought the fight to us…. And I bring Peter into the Avengers compound….” Tony shakes his head. “Vis’s got a stone, Bruce. To top it off, Thor told me he made contact with some kind of wizard right here in New York who’s got another stone. That’s two stones here on earth, and we’re throwing a high schooler right into the middle of it.”

“Tony,” Pepper gently takes his hands and strokes them. “Why don’t I go and talk to May? I’ll tell her how you’re feeling and I’ll make sure that this is one-hundred percent what she wants to do.”

Tony nods. “I should just sign it, right? Peter loves me, and I love him but…” Tony chokes. “How can I be an Avenger and a… a father?”


End file.
